The invention resides in a containment for receiving a removable vehicle top, including a containment cover, which can be opened for the transfer of the vehicle top between closed and open positions by way of a cover operating mechanism and a containment bottom, which is movable by a containment bottom operating mechanism between a raised position corresponding to a position of the vehicle top in which it is closed and a lowered position corresponding to an open position of the vehicle top.
DE 197 12 967 A1 discloses a vehicle top containment, which is disposed immediately behind the vehicle interior and which is adapted to receive a removable vehicle top for opening the vehicle interior. The vehicle top containment is provided with a cover, which can be opened to provide access to the containment. The vehicle top containment forms an independent storage space separate from the vehicle trunk. This however reduces the available trunk space even when the vehicle top is closed and the vehicle top containment is empty.
DE 198 34 850 A1 discloses a top containment for accommodating a removable vehicle top with an adjustable containment bottom which is movable between a raised and a lowered position. The raised position corresponds to a state in which the vehicle top is closed and the lowered position is assumed by the containment bottom when the vehicle top is open that is it is deposited in the containment. In the raised position of the containment bottom, the usable trunk space is substantially increased. For raising and lowering the bottom, a containment bottom operating mechanism is provided which is part of the vehicle top operating mechanism. In this way, the movement of the vehicle top and the lowering and raising of the containment bottom are coupled.
The arrangement disclosed in DE 198 34 850 A1, however, has the disadvantage that the containment bottom reaches its lowered position, in which the top containment has the largest volume, only at the end of the movement of the vehicle top into the containment. As a result, the containment must be relatively large since during the continuous movement of the vehicle top into the storage containment a large part of the vehicle top must be accommodated in the containment already before the end of the movement of the top into the containment. The lowering movement of the bottom, which is coupled to the continuous movement of the vehicle top, requires sufficient space whereby the freely usable trunk space is limited.
A vehicle top containment with a containment floor that can be lowered is disclosed also in DE 298 09 007 U1. However, a coupling of the containment bottom operating mechanism with the vehicle top operating mechanism is not disclosed in this publication. The vertical movement of the containment bottom is achieved by means of a cable winch whose operation can be initiated remotely from the dashboard or which is actuated by way of a control element that is operated during opening of the top and its closing or during opening and closing of the containment cover. There is no direct coupling between the vehicle top operating mechanism and the containment bottom operating mechanism.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a containment for accommodating a vehicle roof when the vehicle roof is opened and a relatively large trunk space for accommodating luggage when the vehicle roof is closed.
In a containment for receiving a removable vehicle top, including a containment cover, a containment cover operating mechanism for transferring the vehicle top between closed and open positions, a containment bottom movable between raised and lowered positions and a containment bottom operating mechanism, the containment bottom operating mechanism is coupled to the vehicle top in such a way that, during the transfer of the vehicle top from the closed to the open position, movement of a component of the vehicle top initiates the lowering of the containment bottom by uncoupling the containment bottom from its operating mechanism before the vehicle top enters the containment.
The bottom of the vehicle top containment includes a containment bottom operating mechanism, which permits movement of the containment bottom between a raised position corresponding to a closed position of the vehicle top and a lowered position corresponding to an open position of the vehicle top in which the vehicle top is deposited in the containment. In the raised position of the containment bottom, the trunk space is essentially not affected by the containment, whereby the maximum storage volume of the trunk is provided. For depositing the vehicle top in the vehicle top containment, the containment bottom is lowered in order to provide the storage space needed for the vehicle top.
The containment bottom operating mechanism by way of which the containment bottom is lowered and raised is coupled with the vehicle top in such a way that, during the transfer of the vehicle top from the closed to the open position, the containment bottom is automatically lowered. Also, the containment bottom can be uncoupled from the containment bottom operating mechanism.
This makes it possible that the containment bottom is lowered at the beginning of the opening movement of the vehicle top and to provide in this way a sufficiently large storage space in the containment early during the opening movement of the vehicle top for the accommodation of the vehicle top as the bottom is lowered at the start of the opening movement of the vehicle top. When the containment bottom has been lowered, it is uncoupled from the containment bottom operating mechanism so that the operating mechanism can continue to movexe2x80x94since it is coupled to the vehicle topxe2x80x94and the opening movement of the vehicle top can continue without transmitting that movement to the containment bottom which remains in its lowered position independently of any further movement of the containment bottom operating mechanism.
The lowering of the containment bottom early in the movement process for opening the vehicle top furthermore has the advantage that the opening movement can be interrupted at an early stage when the top has not been moved yet into the storage containment if an object is in the vehicle trunk which blocks the lowering movement of the containment bottom. The same applies to the cover of the top containment, which may remain closed until the containment bottom is in its lowered position.
For the closing of the vehicle top, the procedure is reversed. First, the containment bottom operating mechanism and the containment bottom remain uncoupled so that the containment bottom remains lowered while the vehicle top is lifted out of the storage position in the containment. In the last movement phase of the closing procedure of the vehicle top, the containment bottom operating mechanism is again coupled to the containment bottom so as to lift the containment bottom to its raised position in which it extends into the vehicle trunk only to a small extent.
The coupling between the containment bottom operating mechanism and the vehicle top has the advantage that no separate drive is necessary for the raising and lowering of the containment bottom. The lowering of the containment bottom is furthermore supported by the weight of the containment bottom.
Expediently, the uncoupling of the containment bottom operating mechanism and the containment bottom depends on the opening movement of the containment cover. The containment cover closing the vehicle top containment must be open during the transfer of the vehicle top between the closed and open positions to permit access to the vehicle top containment. The opening movement may be utilized for the uncoupling of the containment bottom operating mechanism and the containment bottom. After the containment bottom has been uncoupled from its operating mechanism, the containment bottom remains in the lowered position independently of the further movement of the vehicle top. Upon closing of the containment cover, the containment bottom and its operating mechanism are again coupled together.
The containment bottom operating mechanism and the containment bottom are preferably pivotally joined and the operating mechanism can be locked to the containment bottom by a removable locking bolt such that no relative degree of freedom exists between the operating mechanism and the containment bottom and any movement transferred from the vehicle top to containment bottom operating mechanism is directly transmitted to the containment bottom. In the uncoupled state, the locking bolt interconnecting the containment operating mechanism and the containment bottom is retracted, so that the components are unlocked and the containment bottom operating mechanism can pivot about its pivot axis relative to the containment bottom. Further movement of the vehicle top will therefore result in a movement of the containment bottom operating mechanism, but this movement will not be transferred to the containment bottom.
For the transfer of the opening movement of the containment cover to provide for an uncoupling movement of the locking bolt, there is preferably provided between the containment cover and the locking bolt a transfer member, particularly on operating cable, which converts the movement of the containment cover into a retraction movement of the locking bolt so as to move it out of its locking position. In this embodiment, the containment bottom movement is affected by the movement of two parts: firstly, by the movement of the vehicle top during the transfer between the closed and the open position thereof and secondly, by the movement of the containment cover upon opening of the containment cover. These two movements are preferably timely tuned such that, if in its closed position the vehicle top is disposed on the containment cover and therefore blocks movement of the containment cover, the vehicle top is first raised to permit the opening of the containment cover.
Preferably, the containment bottom is supported pivotally about a stationary transverse pivot axis and extends in its raised position about vertically within the vehicle and about horizontally in its lowered position. The containment bottom operating mechanism may be biased into the lowered position of the containment bottom, particularly by the weight of the containment bottom and/or by a spring element.
For the transfer and conversion of the movement of the vehicle top to the lowering movement of the containment bottom, an operating arm may be pivotally supported on the vehicle body and linked to the containment bottom operating mechanism. Preferably, an operating member is connected with one end to the operating arm and with its other end to a movable part of the vehicle top and holds the containment bottom in a raised position against the biasing spring or weight force when the vehicle top is closed. The operating member is for example a Bowden cable.